"Jeff Kirvin - Unification Chronicles 4 - Exiting Eden" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kirvin Jeff)

the chain reaction of explosions that signified the machineтАЩs demise.

Two down, three to go, Jack thought as the human trio wound their way down a
labyrinthine path through the artificial canyons of the colony base camp. Their radar picked up
the three war machines following them, but the big Saurian machines werenтАЩt as agile as the
armored humans, and Jack and his Marines gained distance on the Saurians with every turn.

They reached the landing pad. As expected, the dropship sat alone on the far edge of the
flat plasticrete expanse, its boarding ramp extended.

тАЬWeтАЩll be sitting ducks until I can get that thing prepped,тАЭ Robyn said.

Jack checked his radar. The Saurians seemed to have figured out where the humans were
headed, and were taking the straightest route possible to the landing pad. тАЬThen get to it. Jabari
and I can hold them off for a few minutes.тАЭ

The trio rushed to the dropship. Robyn hurried inside while Jack and Jabari assumed
defensive positions just outside.

The Marines stood ready while Robyn brought up the dropshipтАЩs engines, the whine of its
fusion turbines drowning out the approaching thunder of the Saurian mechs.

All three appeared at once, coming from different directions. They formed a rough
semicircle around the landing pad, noted the bristling weaponry on the dropship and moved
cautiously.

тАЬHow long?тАЭ Jack asked Robyn over the tacnet.

тАЬAbout forty seconds to liftoff.тАЭ

Forty seconds, Jack thought. Not too long atтАФ

As if reading JackтАЩs thoughts, the Saurian mechs charged as one, their towering metal legs eating
up distance to the dropship.

тАЬOpen fire!тАЭ Jack shouted.

Both armored Marines gave the Saurians everything they had, but it wasnтАЩt doing much.
JabariтАЩs plasma rifle just scorched the mech rushing from the north, and JackтАЩs railgun
knocked the arm off the eastern mech, but nothing more. They didnтАЩt have the firepower to
standoff the giant war machines.

Jack felt the dropship lurch into the air behind him. Riding gouts of superheated flame, the
Terran warship swiveled in midair and launched a barrage of missiles at each mech, reducing
them to shrapnel.

RobynтАЩs voice sounded over the tacnet. тАЬYou folks need a ride?тАЭ

Thirty seconds later, the final three human survivors of New Eden were aloft and speeding
back to Envoy.